Well that’s just surreal.

So the Chinese version of Furiously Happywas recently published and for some reason they gave Rory a head band which seems weird but it’s obviously working because I just found out that Furiously Happy is a National Bestseller in China. So much so that they can’t keep it in stock.

WTF, y’all.

And to make it even more surreal, I just got these pictures from Dook in China. I don’t know your last name, Dook, but you are my special favorite person…

What.

Hang on…

Wait for it.

That last picture? That’s my 40 foot tall dead raccoon waving wildly to people on the other side of the world. And also part of Dook’s thumb. I’m almost positive that this is some sort of fever dream or that I’m in a coma.

So far this is my favorite coma.

PS. If you read Chinese can you tell me what these posters say? I’m assuming something like, “Y’ALL, THIS BITCH IS CRAZY. READ THIS AND FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF.” True in any language.

The title of the book is “I’m So Happy I could Die!” according to my son. I tried having him translate everything, but he started giggling as he was reading it and walked out of the room shaking his head.

How freakin’ cool is that?! You totally need to see if Dook (nice work, Dook, whoever you are) can snag some of those cut-outs of the headbandit and send them to you. Or maybe the 40-ft marquee when they’re done with it? I’m sure you could find a place for it.

If you had told me that this originated from the same people who brought us tentacle sex, yaoi, that Pokemon who wears his mom’s skull as a headpiece and Pearl Harbor, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised. That’s how close you mesh with the Asian mind.

For those who are curious about the Chinese title, it’s 高兴死了 (gāo xìng sǐ le). The first two characters (高兴 / gāo xìng) translate as “happy” (lit. “big emotion”), the third (死 / sǐ) means “death/die”, and the final (了 / le) is an aspect marker that indicates completed action. So Hannah’s (above) friend’s translation of “So happy I could die!!!” sounds like it makes sense.

And Bill Peschel (the dude who commented above me) that Pokemon is called Cubone (and I clearly know way too much about Pokemon). And the whole tentacle sex ting and yaoi? That’s not Chinese. That’s Japanese…they take “weird shit” to a whole ‘nother level.

I don’t speak Chinese, but I’m pretty sure you’re spot on in your interpretation of what it says. Having said that, I’ll change it to “a hilariously funny crazy lady who will make you laugh at what you think is troubling in your life.” You make me happy, Jenny, don’t ever change.

Those photos just get better, and the pictures of Rory get bigger, as I scroll down, until OH my GOSH there he is 40 feet tall on the side of a building! How cool is that!!
I hope the book is a great success in China, although with luck the translation is better than what you get with Google Translate!
congratulations, Jenny!! ♥

The real Rory definitely needs a headband — in fact SEVERAL — so he can change with the seasons or on fashion whims. Sort of like those geese in my former neighbor’s yard who occasionally would wear a BDSM ensemble — the geese, I mean; not sure about the neighbors. No judge.

Looking at all the potential translations above, it looks like time for a contest. “Possible Asian translation of Jenny’s book.” (It wouldn’t even have to be close to real). One of the more interesting things in Japan (yeah, I know not China) was Japanese translations into English of phrases they put on things…like the back of SUV’s. “Happy Nature Time” was one of them. Somehow burning gas for ‘Happy Nature Time’ seemed counter productive but hey. So I suggest a contest on wild and wacky things for Rory to be saying…although the Chinese phrase is pretty much a winner.

As a Chinese American, I agree with Gina’s translation of “Happy to Death” rather than the literal translation of every word. We add “si le” (to die) at the end of a lot of phrases, so one can be cold to death (similar to freezing to death), hot to death, tired to death, sick to death, etc.

Per my coworker the top says something like “At humanities deepest trough (or lowest level of humanity), I am Happy to Death!” Then at the bottom is says “Collecting my happiest moments, to use them to overcome my lowest (or “rotten cake”) days.”

So I have a friend that lived in China and was fluent in Chinese! He claims that this may be a very out of date meaning, since current Chinese colloquialisms are different than those he learned, but in the sign posted, the major Characters listed are “high, happy, die, and past tense” – so the rough translation is something like ” laughed / was happy to death”. He didn’t think that would be helpful – but I think it’s marvelous! Enjoy! Ann

That headband makes me think Rory has a future advertising Dairylea Lunchables.
(Of course they may have a new ad agency now and that may make no sense at all to anyone else, but at our house the platypus and the jackalope doing aerobics to the Bonny Tyler soundtrack is still on heavy YoiTube rotation….)

Thrilled for you!!! The only thing is, I see headband on somebody who isn’t at the gym (as if I am ever there seeing headbands….) and I think Christopher Walked. Though I did see him doing Chekhov and he for sure wasn’t wearing one then. ♥️ ♥️ ♥️

The sign in front to the store Google translate says:
“Happy to die! I’m dead in my life. I’m happy to die now! The happiest depression patient in the world has published! Into the store to buy, gift phase gift period.

Having gone through some serious challenges this year, I will say the audio version of this book got me through many a dark night when I couldn’t sleep due to anxiety and “crazy brain” as I call it. I’m so happy this book is being shared with the rest of the world! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it and related to it, and you. Can’t wait to read your next masterpiece and I’m so happy for your continued success 🙂

So happy for you! You have helped me and friends of mine by voicing what we couldn’t. Now China has found those wonderful laughs and tears from your words that so many people need. Tell that asshole imposter syndrome to shove it for five mintes and let you be happy ❤

As awesome as the sign is badly translated to English, I want to reread the whole book ****translated back into English after having been translated to Chinese.*** In original English it is already funny enough to cry while laughing. In Post-Chinese-English I’m pretty sure we could all at some point soil our pants because we have actually died laughing.

Wow, they do love their exclamation marks, huh. That last picture is just so freaking amazing, I can’t imagine how you felt to see that! Every single time you post about your books being translated I find myself wishing I knew more languages so I could ‘rediscover’ your books in other languages. (You are totally going to put a headband on Rory now, right? I mean you really really need to after seeing that!)

“The world’s brightest leopard depression” absolutely must be the title of a future post. Or book.
We can give it, oh, three years. You’re probably going to have to acquire a taxidermied leopard first. Victor will understand. It’s Chinese meets Google, two of the most powerful forces on our planet. There is no turning back.

Just going by the second picture:
“I am at a low point in my life, and I’m so happy I could die!”
A person with depression, using happiness to swept the charts in America.
(Then a list of awards)
I crazily collect each happy moment,
and use them to combat the days that are bad.

Rory, small but mighty ambassador for world peace through laughter, truth telling and understanding. No wonder they added the headband.
Wow, there’s so much pleasure in watching your success! C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!

I even showed this to my husband who is basically clueless about such things and he chuckled ferociously at the raccoon and the chinese translations (this a good thing) and all I can say is, you have arrived, and if this book were a car it would be a stretch limo with two drivers and a wine rack in the back seat… I couldn’t be happier for you.

I keep looking at the picture of the books with the flowers (#2) and I can’t help but think it looks like your books are giving birth to a little flower decoration. It’s very vaginal + it is in China, so this wins the Internet for me today.

I had the misfortune of learning to cross-stitch during the hayday of jazzercise, blue geese, and teddy bears on stuff. I made a cross-stitched teddy bear wearing exercise gear that my sister still proudly displays to this day (to shame me, I think). Anyway, I saw that picture and thought maybe I should steal back the stitching and with minor alterations I would have a Rory stitch that would finally make me one of the cool kids.

My friend from China tried to explain some of the signs to me. Here goes:
-The book title and caption above Rory’s head in the first picture “I’m so happy I could die”
-The rough translation of the top line on the stand up banner next to the book display is “I used to be in hell but now I’m in heaven”
– The rough translation of the two lines above the book on that banner is “Collect the happy moments to use as inspiration when there are bad moments”

In the fourth photo, the words under the red words roughly say, “I was quite depressed, but now I am so happy I could die.” When I say it’s a very rough translation, I mean it. One of the words used in the sentence literally means “low”, which seems to allude to depression or feeling depressed. I can read chinese but I am not fluent so my translation may be off. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.